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New glass compositions yield composites having higher moduli of elasticity and specific moduli of elasticity than commercially available glasses. Over a reasonable temperature range the glasses have a viscosity of about 20,000 poises. They consist of silica, alumina, magnesia, and beryllia, plus at least one uncommon oxide.
Mechanical properties and impact strength of UARL 417 experimental glass
A number of new glass compositions have been prepared with increased emphasis on compositions without beryllia. Glass preparations have been much more broadly based and have included the eutectic glass fields, and the mullite-rare earth glass systems. Of the new glasses, the best non-toxic composition is UARL 472 with a bulk modulus of only 18.20 million psi. A second experimental glass, UARL 417, was chosen for research in making large quantities of fiber in monofilament form. Tests of these UARL 417 epoxy resin samples in comparison to similar composites made with the DuPont organic fiber, PRD-49-1, show that the UARL composites have a compressive strength 41/2 times higher and a specific compressive strength at least 21/2 times greater. Much of the research effort attempted to answer the question of why a given glass should have an impact strength superior to other glasses. No definitive answer to the question was found.
Kevlar aramid fiber, fabric, rope and cable performance are reviewed along with the economics relevant to the material, structural, and reliability aspects of lighter than air craft.
Carbon fibers which are electrically insulating but still maintain the mechanical properties of the original carbon fibers were investigated. Three approaches were taken to increase the electrical resistance of carbon fibers: (1) boron nitride (BN) coatings; (2) doping of carbon fibers to alter their electrical properties; and (3) low temperature final heat treatment. The structure of carbon fibers and its effect upon properties was also studied. Results are presented.
This report describes the third phase of work, the objective of which was to overcome the excessive brittleness of the previously developed UH-1 helicopter tail rotor drive shaft design which demonstrated a shaft train weight savings of 53.1% over the current 2024-T3 aluminum shaft train. A materials impact program demonstrated exceptionally noteworthy performance of two woven constructions containing E-glass and PRD 49-III (designation later changed to KEVLAR 49) fibers in an epoxy resin matrix. Thermoplastic matrices and PRD 49-III fiber provided impact resistance at low weight which was superior to composites having the same fiber in a thermoset resin matrix. A design, fabrication, and test program showed that shaft impact resistance could be improved over the previously developed graphite composite design at a cost in shaft train rate savings. The shaft train weight savings of the most impact tolerant construction was 4.0% over the current aluminum shaft train. Alternating plies of graphite and glass appear to provide substantially greater tube impact durability than that provided by hybridization of the two fibers into one tape wound to a ply design equivalent in strength and stiffness to that of the alternating ply design. Recommendations were made to continue research work to exploit the potential for more impact-durable structures through the use of KEVLAR 49 fiber, woven structures, thermoplastic matrices and THORNEL 50-S/KEVLAR 49 blends with thermoset matrices.
An experimental organic fiber, designated Fiber D, was characterized, and its performance as a reinforcement for composites was investigated. The fiber has a modulus of 172 GPa, tensile strength of 3.14 GPa, and density of 1.46 gm/cu cm. Unidirectional Fiber D/epoxy laminates containing 60 percent fiber by volume were evaluated in flexure, shear, and compression, at room temperature and 121 C in both the as fabricated condition and after humidity aging for 14 days at 95 percent RH and 82 C. A modulus of 94.1 GPa, flexure strength of 700 MPa, shear strength of 54 MPa, and compressive strength of 232 MPa were observed at room temperature. The as-fabricated composites at elevated temperature and humidity aged material at room temperature had properties 1 to 20 percent below these values. Combined humidity aging plus evaluated temperature testing resulted in even lower mechanical properties. Hybrid composite laminates of Fiber D with Fiber FP alumina or Thornel 300 graphite fiber were also evaluated and significant increases in modulus, flexure, and compressive strengths were observed.
Glass compositions having a Young's modulus of at least 15 million psi and a specific modulus of at least 110 million inches consisting essentially of, in mols, 10-45% SiO2, 2-15% Li2O, 3-34% BeO, 12-36% of at least one bivalent oxide selected from the group consisting of CaO, ZnO, MgO and CuO, 10-39% of at least one trivalent oxide selected from the group consisting of Al2O3, B2O3, La2O3, Y2O3 and the mixed rare earth oxides, the total number of said bivalent and trivalent oxides being at least three, and up to 10% of a tetravalent oxide selected from the group consisting of ZrO2, TiO2 and CeO2.
Glass compositions having a Young's modulus of at least 16 million psi and a specific modulus of at least 110 million inches consisting essentially of approximately, by weight, 20 to 43% SiO2, 8 to 21% Al2O3, 4 to 10% BeO, 27 to 58% of at least one oxide selected from a first group consisting of Y2O3, La2O3, Nd2O3, Ce2O3, Ce2O3, and the mixed rare earth oxides, and 3 to 12% of at least one oxide selected from a second group consisting of MgO, ZrO2, ZnO and CaO are described. The molar ratio of BeO to the total content of the first group oxides is from 1.0 to 3.0.
The development and application of filamentary composite materials, is considered. Such interest is based on the possibility of using relatively brittle materials with high modulus, high strength, but low density in composites with good durability and high tolerance to damage. Fiber reinforced composite materials of this kind offer substantially improved performance and potentially lower costs for aerospace hardware. Much progress has been made since the initial developments in the mid 1960's. There were only limited applied to the primary structure of operational vehicles, mainly as aircrafts.
Hot pressing and nitriding produce strong fiber/matrix material. Fabrication method developed for processing strong and tough silicon-based ceramic composite material, SiC/RBSN, which consists of reaction-bonded Si3N4 (RBSN) reinforced by continuous-length, high-modulus, high strength silicon carbide (SiC) fibers prepared by chemical-vapor deposition method. Increased toughness and ultimate strength of SiC/RBSN composite makes it potential structural material for advanced heat engines.
A preliminary study comparing twelve unidirectional-fiber composite systems to five metal materials conventionally used in momentum wheels is presented. Six different fibers are considered in the study: E-Glass, S-Glass, Boron, AS, T300, and Kevlar. Because of the possibility of high momentum requirements, and thus high stresses, only two matrix materials are considered: a high-modulus (HM) and a intermediate-modulus-high-strength (IMHS) matrix. Each of the six fibers are coupled with each of the two matrix materials. In an effort to optimize the composite system, each composite is considered while varying the fiber volume ratio from 0.0 to 0.7 in increments of 0.1. For fiber volume ratios above 0.2, all twelve unidirectional-fiber composite systems meet the study's requirements with higher factors of safety and less mass than the five conventional isotropic (metal) materials. For example, at a fiber volume ratio of 0.6, the Kevlar/IMHS composite system has a safety factor 4.5 times greater than that of a steel (maraging) system and an approximately 10 percent reduction in weight.
NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is developing a variety of advanced SiC/SiC ceramic composite (ASC) systems that allow these materials to operate for hundreds of hours under stress in air at temperatures approaching 2700 F. These SiC/SiC composite systems are lightweight (approximately 30% metal density) and, in comparison to monolithic ceramics and carbon fiber-reinforced ceramic composites, are able to reliably retain their structural properties for long times under aggressive gas-turbine engine environments. The key for the ASC systems is related first to the NASA development of the Sylramic-iBN Sic fiber, which displays higher thermal stability than any other SiC- based ceramic fibers and possesses an in-situ grown BN surface layer for higher environmental durability. This fiber is simply derived from Sylramic Sic fiber type that is currently produced at ATK COI Ceramics (COIC). Further capability is then derived by using chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) and/or polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) to form a Sic-based matrix with high creep and rupture resistance as well as high thermal conductivity. The objectives of this study were (1) to optimize the constituents and processing parameters for a Sylramic-iBN fiber reinforced ceramic composite system in which the Sic-based matrix is formed at COIC almost entirely by PIP (full PIP approach), (2) to evaluate the properties of this system in comparison to other 2700 F Sylramic-iBN systems in which the matrix is formed by full CVI and CVI + PIP, and (3) to examine the pros and cons of the full PIP approach for fabricating hot-section engine components. A key goal is the development of a composite system with low porosity, thereby providing high modulus, high matrix cracking strength, high interlaminar strength, and high thermal conductivity, a major property requirement for engine components that will experience high thermal gradients during service. Other key composite property goals are demonstration at high temperatures of high environmental resistance and high creep resistance, which in turn will result in long component life. Data are presented from a variety of laboratory tests on simple two-dimensional panels that examine these properties and compare the performance of the optimized full PIP system with those of the full CVI and CVI + PIP hybrid systems. Underlying mechanisms for performance differences in the various systems are discussed. Remaining issues for further property enhancement and for application of the full PIP approach for engine components are also discussed, as well as on-going approaches at NASA to solve these issues.
A new class of soluble phenylated polyimides made from 3,6-diarypyromellitic dianhydride and process for the manufacture of the 3,6-diarypyromellitic dianhydride starting material. The polyimides obtained with said dianhydride are readily soluble in appropriate organic solvents and are distinguished by excellent thermal, electrical and/or mechanical properties making the polyimides ideally suited as coating materials for microelectronic apparatii, as membranes for selective molecular separation or permeation or selective gas separation or permeation, or as reinforcing fibers in molecular composites, or as high modulus, high tensile strength fibers.
The effects of low level damage induced by monotonic load, cyclic load and/or residual stresses on the vibration frequencies and damping factors of fiber composite angleplied laminates were investigated. Two different composite systems were studied - low modulus fiber and ultra high modulus fiber composites. The results obtained show that the frequencies and damping factors of angleplied laminates made from low modulus fiber composites are sensitive to low level damage while those made from ultra high modulus composites are not. Vibration tests may not be sufficiently sensitive to assess concentrated local damage in angleplied laminates. Dynamic response determined from low-velocity impact coupled with the Fast Fourier Transform and packaged in a minicomputer can be a convenient procedure for assessing low-level damage.
An investigation was conducted to determine the effects of low level damage induced by monotonic load, cyclic load and/or residual stresses on the vibration frequencies and damping factors of fiber composite angleplied laminates. Two different composite systems were studied - low modulus fiber and ultra high modulus fiber composites. The results obtained showed that the frequencies and damping factors of angleplied laminates made from low modulus fiber composites are sensitive to low level damage while those made from ultra high modulus composites are not. Also, vibration tests may not be sufficiently sensitive to assess concentrated local damage in angleplied laminates. And furthermore, dynamic response determined from low-velocity impact coupled with the Fast Fourier Transform and packaged in a minicomputer can be a convenient procedure for assessing low-level damage in fiber composite angleplied laminates.
Filament tensile strengths and pressure-strain characteristics of high modulus, high-strength, boron-filament-wound/resin-composite pressure vessel at ambient and cryogenic temperatures
A study was carried out to select a state-of-the-art epoxy for wet filament winding. Ten epoxy systems were used to filament wind pressure vessels with a high-modulus, high-strength organic fiber. Data are reported on vessel performance, fiber strand strengths, and shear strengths for the different systems. Using our criteria (processibility, neat resin properties, and vessel performance), we find that an epoxy system based on the rubber-modified bis-phenol-F resin, diluted with vinyl cyclohexane dioxide and cured with mixed aromatic amines, can easily replace bis-phenol-A epoxies diluted with bis-(2, 3-epoxycyclopentyl) ether (such as ERL 2256 epoxy of Union Carbide) with comparable overall performance.